In The Politics Aristotle addresses the questions that lie at the heart of political science. How should society be ordered to ensure the happiness of the individual? Which forms of government are best and how should they be maintained? By analysing a range of city constitutions - oligarchies, democracies and tyrannies - he seeks to establish the strengths and weaknesses of each system, and to decide which are the most effective, in theory and in practice. A hugely significant work, which has influenced thinkers as diverse as Thomas Aquinas and Machiavelli, The Politics remains an outstanding commentary on fundamental political issues and concerns, and provides fascinating insights into the workings and attitudes of the Greek city-state.

In The Politics Aristotle addresses the questions that lie at the heart of political science. How should society be ordered to ensure the happiness of the individual? Which forms of government are best and how should they be maintained? By analysing a range of city constitutions - oligarchies, democracies and tyrannies - he seeks to establish the strengths and weaknesses of each system, and to decide which are the most effective, in theory and in practice. A hugely significant work, which has influenced thinkers as diverse as Thomas Aquinas and Machiavelli, The Politics remains an outstanding commentary on fundamental political issues and concerns, and provides fascinating insights into the workings and attitudes of the Greek city-state.

The introductions by T. A. Sinclair and Trevor J. Saunders cliscuss the influence of The Politics on philosophers, its modern relevance and Aristotle's political beliefs. This edition contains Greek and English glossaries, and a bibliography for further reading.

TRANSLATOR'S INTRODUCTION, BY T. A. SINCLAIR

 Aristotle's Life and Works

 Aristotle's Politics in the Past

 Aristotle's Politics Today

 Notes by the Reviser

REVISER'S INTRODUCTION, BY T. J. SAUNDERS

 A Modern Report on the Politics

 Teaching and Research in the Lyceum

 The Contents and Structure of the Politics

 Aristotle's Philosophical Assumptions

 Why Read the Politics?

 The Revised Translation

Principles of Revision

Translation of Key Terms

Refractory Terms

Italicized Prefaces to Chapters

Numerical References

Footnotes

Bibliographies

Table of Contents and Index of Names

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

        THE POLITICS

BOOK I

  Preface to Book I

i The State as an Association

  ii The State Exists by Nature

   The Two 'Pairs'

   Formation of the Household

   Formation of the Village

   Formation of the State

   The State and the Individual

 iii The Household and Its Slaves

  iv The Slave as a Tool

  v Slavery as Part of a Universal Natural Pattern

 vi The Relation between Legal and Natural Slavery

 vii The Nature of Rule over Slaves

viii The Natural Method of Acquiring Goods

 ix Natural and Unnatural Methods of Acquiring

     Goods

  x The Proper Limits of Household-Management;

     The Unnaturalness of Money-lending

 xi Some Practical Considerations, Especially on the

     Creation of Monopoly

xii Brief Analysis of the Authority of Husband and

     Father

xiii Morality and Efficiency in the Household

BOOK 11

i Introduction to Ideal States: How Far Should

     Sharing Go?

  ii Extreme Unity in Plato's Republic

 iii Extreme Unity is Impracticable

  iv Further Oblections to Community of Wives

     and Children

v The Ownership of Property

  vi Criticisms of Plato's Laws

 vii The Constitution of Phaleas

viii The Constitution of Hippodamus

  ix Criticism of the Spartan Constitution

    The Helots

    Spartan Women

    Property

    The Ephors

    The Board of Elders

    The Kings

    The Common Meals

    Some Further Criticisms

x Criticism of the Cretan Constitution

  xi Criticism of the Carthaginian Constitution

 xii Solon and Some Other Lawgivers

BOOK III

i How Should We Define 'Citizen'?

  ii A Pragmatic Definition of 'Citizen'

 iii Continuity of Identity of the State

  iv How Far Should the Good Man and the Good

     Citizen be Distinguished?

  v Ought Workers to be Citizens?

  vi Correct and Deviated Constitutions

     Distinguished

 vii Classification of Correct and Deviated

     Constitutions

viii An Economic Classification of Constitutions

  ix The Just Distribution of Political Power

x Justice and Sovereignty

  xi The Wisdom of Collective Judgements

 xii Justice and Equality

xiii The Sole Proper Claim to Political Power

xiv Five Types of Kingship

 xv The Relation of Kingship and Law (1)

xvi The Relation of Kingship and Law (2)

xvii The Highest Form of Kingship

xviii The Education of the Ideal King

BOOK IV

i The Tasks of Political Theory

  ii Constitutions Placed in Order of Merit

 iii Why -]here are Several Constitutions

 iv The Parts of the State and the Classification of

     Democracies

   Definitions of Democracy and Oligarchy

   The Parts of the State. and Resulting Variety

     among Constitutions (1)

   Plato on the Parts of the State

   The Parts of the State. and Resulting Variety

     among Constitutions (2)

   Varieties of Democracy

  v The Classification of Oligarchies

  vi Four Types of Democracy and Four of

     Oligarchy

 vii Varieties of Aristocracy

viii Polity Distingvished from Aristocracy

  ix Polity as a Mixture of Oligarchy and

     Democracy

  x Three Forms of Tyranny

  xi The Merits of the Middle Constitution

xii Why Democrats and Oligarchs Should

     Cultivate the Middle Ground

xiii Right and Wrong Stratagems to Ensure a

     Majority for the Constitution

xiv The Deliberative Element in the Constitution

 xv The Exec.tive Element in the Constitution

xvi The Judicial Element in the Constitution

BOOK v

i Equality..lu~tice and Constitlltional Change

  ii Sources of Con,tit.tional Change (1)

 iii Sources of Constitutional Change (2)

  iv The Immediate Occasions of Constitutional

     Change

v Why Democracies are Overthrown

  vi Why Oligarchies are Overthrown

 vii The Causes of Factions in Aristocracies

viii How Constitutions May be Preserved (1)

  ix How Constitutions May be Preserved (2)

x The Origins and Downfall of Monarchy

  xi Methods of Preserving Monarchies, with

     Particular Reference to Tyranny

 xii The Impermanence of Tyrannies; Plato on

     Constitutional Change

BOOK VI

i How Do Constitutions Function Best?

  ii Principles and Practices of Democracies

 iii Ways of Achieving Equality

  iv The Best Democracy

v How Democracies May be Preserved

  vi The Preservation of Oligarchies (1)

 vii The Preservation of Oligarchies (2)

viii A Comprehensive Review of Officialdom

BOOK VII

i The Relation between Virtue and Prosperity

  ii The Active Life and the Philosophic Life (1)

 iii The Active Life and the Philosophic Life (2)

  iv The Size of the Ideal State

  v The Territory of the Ideal State

 vi The Importance of the Sea

 vii The Influence of Climate

viii Membership and Essential Functions of the

     State

  ix Citizenship and Age-Groups

  x The Food-Supply and the Division of the

     Territory

  xi The Siting and Defence of the City

 xii The Siting of Markets, Temples and

     Communal Refectories

xiii Happiness as the Aim of the Constitution

xiv Education for Citizenship

 xv The Proper Education for Cultured Leisure

xvi Sex, Marriage and Eugenics

xvil The Main Periods of Education; Censorship

BOOK VIII

i Education as a Public Concern

  ii Controversy about the Aims of Education

  iii Leisure Distinguished from Play; Education

  in Music (1)

  iv The Limits of Physical Training

v Education in Music (2)

  vi Gentlemen versus Players

 vii Melodies and Modes in Education

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHIES

GLOSSARIES

 Greek-English

 English-Greek

INDEX OF NAMES